Earth-excavator



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C. A. SMITH.

l t BARTH EXGAVATGL y No. 29o 882. Patented Deo. 18, 1888.

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- EARTH EXGAVATUR.

N0.'290,36-2. Patented Dec. 18,1883.,

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" l CHARLES A. sIIITII, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EARTH-ExCAvA-rou.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,362, dated December 18, 1883.

' Application mea May 8,1882. (No model.)

To @ZZ whoml t 17mg concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States andresiding in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Earth-Excavators, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. l

In the drawings, Figure lisa side elevation of an earth-excavator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing a series of links provided with points for loosening the soil. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my improved machine, looking from the left of Fig. .1; and Fig. 4 -is a perspective view of the chain and points. Y

In Letters Patent of the United States No."

` 253,896, dated February 2l, 1882, is shown and described an earth-excavator belonging to a class with which my present improvements may be employed with advantage@ I do not deem it necessary, therefore, to describe with particularity any special construction of excavator, as the improvements hereinset forth may be applied to use in connection with excavators of the class referred to, although differing from each other in many features of construction. I will, however, lbriely describe the excavator apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, in order that those familiar with the art may understand how to apply my present improvements to use in connection with an excavator the construction and operation of which I can approve, and which, so far as shown, is similar to that described in the Letters Patent referred to.

A A represent a frame, which consists of a suitable base, of uprights each successively longer than the other, and of an inclined top portion, as shown.

' B is a sprocket-.wheel journaled in lower or forward end or part of the frame, and C is a sprocket-wheel journaled in the upper or rear part or end of the frame. D is also a sprocket- Wheel, turning in bearings located a little way below or forward of the wheel C.

E is a chute located partly underneath the sprocket D.

F is an endless sprocket-chain, consisting of central open links, a a, This chain passes over the wheels B, C, and D, and over supportingrollers G G. The direction of the movement vis as follows: Vhen the excavator is set for work, and the sprocket B is rotated, the scoops will enter the earthand be lled and be carried toward the sprocket D, the apron I during that time'closing the bottoms of the scoops. When the scoops reach the wheel D, the belt I leaves them, and the earth falls from the scoops into the chute E.

In the operation of excavators of this class the earth becomes scooped out and projects or shelves over the working end of the excavator, and is liable to slide or fall upon it, and thus not only impede the work, but injure the machine.

rIhe object of my presentvinvention is to prevent the sliding or falling of the earth, as aforesaid; and to accomplish this result I employ the following described means:

J is a beam extending upward and forward, and carrying on its upper end a grooved wheel or sheave, K, and j ournaled at its lower end in bearings in the frame A.

- L is a guy supporting or holding the upper end of the beam J in its elevated position. The inclination of the beam J may-be varied by varying the length of the guy L, and it may also be aided in being retained at various -in clinations by means of a bolt passing through it and through the inclined top piece of the frame A, as indicated at b, a series of holes, b b', being made in the said top piece.

M is a double-sprocket wheel, over the smaller perimeter of which is a drive-chain, N, and over the larger perimeter of which is an endless chain, O, which lies in the groove of the wheel K and in the groove of the wheel P, turning on an axle in the lower end of the inclined beam ofthe frame A. rlhe chain O carries outwardly-projecting disintegratingpoints or looseners QQ, made preferably in the form of plow-points, and which incline upward during IOO their upward movement. The direction of the chain O is indicated by the arrow shown in proximity to it in Fig. l. The form of the disintegrating points or cutters Q is plainly represented in Fig. 4. Each point curves forward toward its front end from the two edges of the chain or link by which it is carried, and is made hollow on the back or rear side and of a V form at the cutting-edge, so that the earth disintegrated at the front may pass freely through the links of the chain and escape over the back or rear of the cutter. The cutters have consequently little or no tendency to lift or carry the earth, their action being, on the contrary, to loosen or disintegrate the same.

It is to be noted that the two disintegratorchains located on opposite sides of the excavator buckets have comparatively narrow faces, and that they serve simply to form two narrow channels in the earth on opposite sides of the excavator, thus loosening the earth which is to be removed at the two sides and permitting the same to fall by gravity. In this regard they differ essentially from buckets having a width equal to that of the excavator'- buckets.

It will now be perceived that while the earth is being excavated and conveyed away by means of the buckets H H, the points Q Q will break up and loosen the earth above and in front of the buckets, so that the earth above the buckets, instead of being liable to shelve and fall upon them in large and heavy masses, will fall or roll down in comparatively small portions, being, as before stated, thoroughly broken up by the points Q Q.

Two or more sets of points, Q Q, may be eniployed when deemed best, and when two are used one may be arranged on one side and the other on the other side ofthe frame A, as shown 4o in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with an endless chain of excavator-buckets, two endless chains located on opposite sides of the excavator, and each provided with Scrapers or disintegratingpoints, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the two toothed disintegrator-chains, the intermediate chain of excavator -buckets extended forward in advance of the disintcgrators, as described and shown.

3. In combination with the excavator-buckets, a disintegrating-chain having forwardlyprojected teeth or points constructed 0f a V form at the cutting-edge to permit the passage of the earth over their rear faces, as described.

4. In combination with the drum-wheel and the excavator-chain driven therefrom, the pulleys M and I), and the disintegrator-chain Q, passed around said pulleys and thence forward in advance of the excavator, substantially as described.

CHARLES A. SMITH.

XVitnesses:

J. S. THOMPSON, J. H. AVERY. 

